How the mighty have fallen
by SladeGirl
Summary: What really happened to Robin when he became Slade's apprentice? And what did Slade intend for him. Prequel to Darkness.
1. Descending

Summary: What really happened to Robin when he became Slade's apprentice? And what did Slade intend for him. Prequel to Darkness.

A/N: Wow I am shocked at all the people who asked me to write a story about what led up to my story Darkness. This is a prequel so obviously you don't have to read Darkness to enjoy this one but you can. Hope you all enjoy it.

_Thoughts_

**How the mighty have fallen**

Chapter 1: Descending

"_Robin? Robin, please respond! Robin, please. You must answer. Robin! Robin, where are you?" _

He heard the voice coming from the communicator and Robin once again fought back the urge to run to it and tell her he was ok. The pain and fear in her voice had been driving him crazy for the past year. He flinched as he heard her break down into tears and finally he lost all control and raced over to the communicator. No sooner had he picked it up when a kick in the side caused him to fly one way and the communicator to fly the other. He looked over to where it had fallen in time to see a steel toe boot smash it to pieces. He looked up and saw Slade standing over him. From the look in Slade's eye he knew he was in trouble. Slade bent down and pick of the shattered remains of the communicator and threw them to Robin. They landed in front of him and he looked down at it then got to his feet. Slade watched his as he stood up, when he got to his feet Slade walked up to him. Slade stared at him for a few minutes then slapped Robin with such force that Robin almost fell back to the ground.

"It seems I am constantly putting you in your place and you are constantly stepping out of it. It seems as if you really want me to kill them." Slade said his voice as cold as ice. Robin's eyes dilated in fear and his aggressive demeanor faltered instantly as he hung his head.

"No, don't. Please, I will do anything you say." Robin said with his head still hung. He gasped as Slade grabbed his hair and forced him to look up.

"You say that each time I threaten your pathetic friends and each time you go back on your word. I am warning you Robin. My patience for this is wearing thin. You disobey me once more and they will die. Do you understand me?" Slade said still gripping the boy's hair.

"Yes, master." Robin said as he shook with fear. Not fear for himself but fear for his friends. He sighed in relief as Slade let go of his hair and straightened up. He continued to look at Robin then turned towards a door that led out of the main room of his lair.

"Follow me, Robin." Slade said then opened the door and walked out.

Robin walked behind Slade in silence knowing that he had better not push the villain right now. Slade opened a familiar door and led Robin into the training room. But instead of leading him over to the blank spot they used for sparring he led the boy over to a jet black wood cabinet. Slade opened it and Robin saw it was filled with whips, chains, and axes along with a lot of other things that would no doubt hurt. As Slade turned he held two long scabbards in his hands he threw one to Robin. Robin caught it and flinched as Slade drew a long sword out of his own scabbard and pointed it at him.

"You are going to teach me how to use a sword?!"

"Hand to hand combat, while useful, is too safe. Sword fighting teaches confidence, intensity, anger." Slade said his voice still cold with a hint of anger in it.

Slade swung the sword and Robin ducked it. He quickly drew his sword and charged at Slade. All you could hear in the room was metal hitting against metal. Robin thought he was holding out pretty well until he missed judged the spot where Slade was going to strike and received a long slash to his left arm. The sword clattered to the ground as Robin grabbed a hold of his arm. Slade, however, showed no mercy and slammed him into a wall. Robin flinched as pain erupted from not only his back but also his arm. He looked up and swallowed when Slade leveled his sword barely an inch from his neck.

"I must say Robin that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. If I didn't know better I would say you had done this before."Slade said keeping his sword at the boy's throat.

"I have. Batman taught me the basics of sword fighting." He said still holding the upper part of his arm even though the worst of the cut was along the elbow. Slade narrowed his eye at this but choose not to comment on it at the moment. Instead he tore a scrap of material from a cloth near by and threw it to Robin. Robin quickly wrapped it around the cut and wait for further instructions.

"We are done for now. Go to your room and rest." Slade said nodding toward the exit.

Still holding the upper part of his arm Robin walked out of the training room. It was only when he was safely in his room that he sighed in relief. _That was close!_ He then laid down on the bed and drifted into a uneasy fitful sleep.

A/N: Well was it as good as ya'll thought it was going to be? Can you guys guess why Robin was holding the upper part of his arm. I just want to see how smart you guys are and how creative you can be. R&R.


	2. Pain

Summary: What really happened to Robin when he became Slade's apprentice? And what did Slade intend for him. Prequel to Darkness.

A/N: Only one person guessed it so congrats to Balance in the Dark. Good job. As for the rest of you, you will understand in the first part of the chapter and probably go "oh". Well enough from me on with the story.

_Flashbacks_

_Thoughts_

**How the mighty have fallen**

Chapter 2: Pain

Robin slowly came around. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in his room on the semi-comfortable bed. Next he noticed he was laying on a metal table with straps across his chest and tied to his ankles and wrists. He tried to pull free but the restraints held him tightly to the table. Robin finally calmed and looked over at his left arm to see how bad the cut was, what he saw shocked him. The make shift bandage had been taken off and his shirt had been ripped further up his arm to his shoulder. That is when he started to hyperventilate. If Slade had seen that, he shuddered to think what the man would do. After a few minutes he calmed again and looked back down at the small black bat that was on his left shoulder. As he lay there he thought back to when he first got the tattoo.

_He had come across the small tattoo shop while he was out patrolling. They didn't care that he was underage so he took advantage of this. Now he sat in the Bat cave waiting for Bruce to quit pacing and start yelling at him. He had broken a rib and thus got carried back to the Bat cave and when Bruce took off his shirt it was hard to miss the small black bat on his shoulder. Finally Bruce stopped pacing and looked at him._

"_When did you get it?" He asked calmly._

"_About a month ago." Robin said hanging his head. Bruce only nodded. _

"_Well what's done is done. Just don't tell Alfred. He had a cow when he heard I got mine." Bruce said clapping Robin on the shoulder. _

"_Tell me what?" Alfred said calmly from the entrance. Bruce whipped around to face the old man. And Robin groaned. "Busted." He said quietly to Bruce. They had spent the rest of the day scrubbing the Bat cave from top to bottom._

Robin was throw out of his memories by the sound of a door opening and closing. He started to shake slightly as Slade stood over him.

"When did you get it?" Slade asked in a voice dripping with anger. When Bruce asked that question he was calm when Slade asked it his voice radiated with anger. Robin being to afraid to talk back answered quickly.

"About two years ago."

"Well, Robin this brings up a problem. You can't fully be mine if you are marked as someone else's." Slade said in a voice that made Robin extremely nervous. "I suppose I will have to correct this."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked not bothering to hide the fear in his voice.

"Do you know what they used to do with cattle, Robin? They branded them with a special insignia so if they got lost or stolen they would know who they belonged to. But when they were sold to someone else that person placed their own insignia right over the previous one. Therefore making the previous one disappear." Slade said coldly as he reached for a long pole made of iron and a blow torch that was sitting beside the table. Robin watched in horror as Slade heated up the iron.

"Slade, no. Please don't. Don't do this..." Robin couldn't believe he was begging Slade, who just continued to heat up the brand which Robin now noticed had his insignia on the end of it. Robin started to struggle as Slade dropped the blow torch and turned to him.

"This is going to hurt." That was all the warning Slade gave him before he pressed the brand to Robin's shoulder. Robin bit his lip trying to hold back the cry that escaped him anyway. When Slade pulled the brand away Robin screamed as he felt it take skin with it. After a few minutes he passed out from the tremendous pain.

Slade noticed Robin's exit from reality and looked down at the iron mark and smiled. He also sewed his wound on his arm up and bandaged it._ Some day this boy will thank me for all this. He doesn't realize how great a villain he could be. But one day he will show his inner nature. And then he will realize what I always wanted for him._ Slade took him back to his room and dropped him on the bed the left him to his sleep.

A/N: Well, did that explain why he was holding his arm. I know some of you probably don't like the brand but what can I say in this fic Slade is sadistic. R&R


	3. Realization

Summary: What really happened to Robin when he became Slade's apprentice? And what did Slade intend for him. Prequel to Darkness.

A/N: You went 'oh' didn't you? Come admit it. Any way I know I am little late with this chapter but I got caught up with all kinds of stuff so forgive me.

_Flashbacks_

_Thoughts_

**How the mighty have fallen**

Chapter 3: Realization

Pain. Pain was all Robin's mind registered as he came to. The pain surged through him as constant and unrelenting as the tide. He could hear each of his heart beats echoing in his ears and feel the air going down to his lungs. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing even trying to determine if anyone else was in the room. After realizing the room was empty he opened his eyes ans looked around. He tried to sit up but gasped in pain and fell back onto the bed. He grabbed his shoulder and tried to figure out how to ease the pain. Finally after a few minutes the pain eased off and he was able to get up. He walked into the small bathroom and looked at the wound in the mirror. He couldn't see the black bat at all, all he could see was the sharp spiky s that was now branded into his skin. Robin looked away from the mirror as shame flooded through him. He couldn't stand to look at his reflection any more. It was official now he belonged to Slade.

_No! Don't start thinking that way. If you start thinking like that he has as good as won._

He looked back up into the mirror took a deep breath then walked out. He barely got out the door before he froze. Slade sat on his bed looking straight at him. Robin started to retreat back into the bathroom but the door shut with a loud bang. Robin backed up into it with fear clearly etched on his face. Slade smirked at the boy's fear under his mask then slowly approached him.

"Did you enjoy my gift Robin?" Slade said in a voice that told Robin he was delighted with his work.

"I... Why? Why did you do this to me?" Robin said with anger, fear, and defiance clear in his voice.

"Simple Robin. I own you. I can't have someone else's mark on my property, now can I?" Slade asked cocking his head slightly.

"You don't own me! I'm nobody's property, Slade!" Robin yelled in anger. He heard Slade chuckle slightly under his mask.

"Your attire says different."

"My uniform doesn't matter. No matter how much you try and brake me, no matter how much you threaten me, I will always be on the good side." Robin said defiantly. He thought for a second he had won but with speed like lighting Slade had him pinned against the bathroom door.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Robin." Slade's voice hissed in his ear, "But your wrong, your no longer a hero but a villain. And a good one at that. Your no longer the ex-side-kick of Batman nor the leader of the Teen Titans but my apprentice. That brand will always be a part of you, as will the things you do for me. Good people don't commit crimes, Robin. Good people don't hurt other people. Good people don't betray their friends." Slade let Robin go and watched as Robin sank to his knees.

"It is about time you realize it. You are mine." Slade smiled as he saw tears began to roll down Robin's cheeks and he realized he had made the first steps in pushing Robin over the edge.

A/N: I have a question for you. Should I keep going or leave it there. Give me an answer people.


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